The latest in what has been a revolving door of Shreveport Airport Authority (SAA) directors, Homer native Larry W. Blackwell, Jr. is now the new kid on the SAA hot seat.

The SAA conducted a search with a headhunter firm. Blackwell was the choice of the search committee.

He was approved at a special meeting of the SAA and then confirmed by the Shreveport City Council on Tuesday, Aug 23.

It is unknown when he will take the reins of the embattled airport authority. He inherits an organizational mess.

For beginners, the SAA board is the poster child for board disfunction.

The collective attitude of an exemption from laws and rules that this board has displayed in recent years is pathetic and embarrassing.

The administrative staff has failed on several occasions to comply with the Open Meetings Law and the Public Records Act.

The deputy airport director has filed a discrimination claim with a state agency, which is a precursor to litigation.

The public information officer selectively decides which media agencies get press releases, and he works for a private news publication on the side.

The authority has been in expensive and basically unsuccessful litigation for several years that has created substantial ill will to many airplane and hangar owners.

Blackwell's past experience is somewhat questionable because of his employment at airports much smaller and with much less passenger volume than Shreveport Regional Airport. And in this position, he has overall responsibility for Shreveport Regional and the Downtown Airport.

His employment at time of hire by SAA was the Montrose (Colo.) Regional Airport operations manager for the last 13 years. Prior to that, he was the Victoria (Texas) Regional Airport manager for four years.

Blackwell was the Minden Airport manager for three years. Adding all those airports together will not equate to the managerial challenges Blackwell will face at SAA. Blackwell has a Bachelor of Science in professional aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University earned at Barksdale AFB.

When SAA Chairman Oliver Jenkins spoke to the council on Tuesday, his emphasis was Blackwell's prior military service (Oliver is retired military) and that he is basically a hometown boy.

So much for qualifications.